“Did Not Like That…At All”: Piling Onto WNBA’s Pay Gap Problems, All-Star Alyssa Thomas Sounds Off on League’s New Rule

The prioritization rule that came up during 2020 in the Collective Bargaining Agreement has players and owners divided. While the owners feel it is necessary to ascertain the contribution of renowned players from day 1, some players somehow think it is detrimental to their interests of participating in overseas leagues. One such? player is the Connecticut Sun star Alyssa Thomas who didn?t mince any words in speaking out her mind.

Let us have a look at what Thomas had to say that gained a lot of attention from media and fans alike.

What did Alyssa Thomas say?

The Connecticut Sun star Alyssa Thomas spoke her mind during the ‘411 by Deja Kelly’ interview on Tuesday regarding the prioritization rule. She candidly pointed out its drawbacks when asked about the need for the rule.

?I remember when they were coming up with the new CBA, they sent it out to a lot of players to vote on it and I originally voted No. I did not really care for some of the things that were in there. One being the overseas market.

It?s no secret that the league doesn?t want us to go overseas and this upcoming year, this year if you are not on time for training camp then you?re suspended for the season. I?m a person that overseas is a big market for me? Did not like that rule at all.?

For the unversed, the prioritization rule demands more commitment from the players in return for the money the owners of the WNBA teams were giving. The rule was drafted in the Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2020 but came into effect during the WNBA 2023 season. The rule states that any player who has experience of more than two years will be fined 1% of their base salary for each day of the training camp they miss.

Players who do not report to their teams by the start of the 2023 WNBA regular season will have to likely be suspended for the entire 2023 season. Whereas from 2024 onwards, players should report to the team by the start of training camp or May 1 – whichever is late – to avoid being suspended for the season. The only exception in the rule is for players who are either a rookie or in their first or second years. Thus, the WNBA owners want players to prioritize their teams instead of overseas leagues.

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Alyssa Thomas for the record has played for various overseas leagues including South Korea. While she represented Bucheon KEB Hana Bank in 2014-15, Thomas participated in the Turkish league for Yakin Dogu. She has also been named in the teams for the Czech League. She proved her importance in the overseas leagues by winning the EuroLeague Defensive Player of the Year and making it to the All-EuroLeague First Team in back-to-back seasons.

How did Alyssa Thomas perform in the WNBA?

Meanwhile, the Connecticut Sun reached the Semi-Finals of the WNBA before being defeated by a decent margin of 1-3 by the New York Liberty. Alyssa Thomas proved her mettle by winning the Player of the Week thrice and one Player of the Month award in June and was also in the race to win the MVP award. The 31-year-old also opened up on the pay gap existing in the industry in the same interview.

Thus, Alyssa Thomas expressed her dismay at the prioritization rules and opined how it limited her as a player. What do you think about the rule? Is it a boon for fans or a bane for players? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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